The more she talked, the more she felt she was cut out for it.
Her enthusiasm soaring, she said, "That auntie said I'm a talent and invited me to join their factory. But according to the factory's rules, I need to find a partner. So come with me to that auntie's factory! Then we can share a dormitory and look after each other."
If Li Yan wasn't so arrogant and cold, she might make a good partner.
Li Xiaguang wore all her schemes on her face, exuding a wildness untouched by the world.
A look of helplessness flashed across Li Chuchu's eyes. "No, find someone else."
"You're good at talking, and the factory offers good treatment. There are quite a few people on this train going to work in the south. If you talk to them, they'll surely agree."
With a few casual words of persuasion, she swaggered off.
...
Back at her berth,
The auntie kept stealing furtive glances at her for a long time. Li Chuchu almost thought she'd put poison in her water cup.
She must have set a trap by asking Li Xiaguang to invite her, probably to see if Li Xiaguang's persuasion had worked.
Just then, Shen Yanshan showed up.
In the noisy and unfamiliar carriage, his appearance seemed to come with its own spotlight and sound effects. As his tall and slender figure passed through the crowded carriage, people instinctively made way for him.
Only when she saw him did Li Chuchu relax a little.
After not seeing him for a while,
She took the initiative to hold Shen Yanshan's hand that was hanging by his side and gently shook it. There was a hint of complaint in her eyes, like a girl pouting.
With her autumn-like eyes and snow-white skin,
With a face like a top-notch innocent beauty, everything she did was alluring, hitting right at a man's heart.
This pitiful look in Li Chuchu's eyes was like the sky falling to Shen Yanshan.
What had just happened?
Why did she look like this?
Had she been bullied?
At this thought, Shen Yanshan's eyes instantly turned sharp.
He scanned the area around him. When his gaze landed on the auntie who had been staring at Li Chuchu, he lingered on her for a while. The auntie felt a chill run down her spine, as if her life was under a deadly threat.
She didn't dare to talk to Shen Yanshan. She quickly turned her gaze out of the window, pretending to enjoy the scenery.
Shen Yanshan squinted slightly. There was something off about this person.
The auntie felt a chill on her back and quickly grabbed her cup and went to the boiling water room to get hot water.
Oh my god, this is that woman's man?
He's so scary!
Li Chuchu gently tugged at him, signaling him to sit beside her. Then she said softly, "Did you find your berth?"
Shen Yanshan stroked her head and said gently, "Not yet. I just went to see the conductor to see if I could change to a ticket closer to yours, so I was delayed there for a while. Are you hungry?"
She hadn't felt hungry before, but now that he mentioned it, she did feel a bit peckish.
She nodded.
Shen Yanshan immediately took out the food from the bag and placed it on the table. There was marinated beef, roast chicken, and even the scallion oil pancakes were still warm.
Some of the dishes had been reheated slightly before they left home this morning, so they were just right to eat now.
Li Chuchu stuffed a roast chicken leg and a scallion oil pancake into her mouth. Her eyes closed in enjoyment.
Shen Yanshan let out a soft laugh and wiped the crumbs from the pancake off her lips.
"Did anyone talk to you just now?"
"Yes. That auntie just now invited me to work in their factory."
Sure enough,
Shen Yanshan's heart sank. There were all kinds of people on the train. One wrong move and you could fall into someone's trap. "What did you say?"
"She's obviously a scammer. And even if it's real, I'm not short of that sixty or seventy yuan a month." There was a hint of unnoticeable pride in Li Chuchu's tone.
Shen Yanshan couldn't help but laugh.
Sometimes she was as shrewd as a fox, and she lacked nothing. Who could easily deceive her?
Just as they were having dinner, the man who had been lying on the opposite berth suddenly moved and turned over.
Shen Yanshan glanced at him twice.
There was a man sleeping opposite Chuchu. He felt even more worried. There were not only pickpockets and thieves on the train, but also often perverts who harassed female passengers.
Especially in summer, it was simply a peak period for crimes.
Just then, the train conductor found Shen Yanshan. "You were the one who wanted to change your ticket just now, right?"
Shen Yanshan stood up. "Yes, it's me."
"Normally, we don't have any extra tickets, but just by chance, someone refunded their ticket before the train departed. The berth is just one berth away from this one. They're both middle berths. You can change to this one."
The conductor gave the ticket to Shen Yanshan.
Shen Yanshan took the ticket and looked at it. It was in the adjacent compartment. "Okay, thank you."
"You're welcome. It's our job."
After changing the ticket, Shen Yanshan finished his meal and quickly packed his luggage and moved it here.
Li Xiaguang, who was in the berth above Li Chuchu, had gone somewhere and hadn't come back for a long time.
But it was just as well that she wasn't here. With both of them gone, Li Chuchu could finally have some peace and quiet. Moreover, with Shen Yanshan packing his things next door, she didn't have to worry about anyone else. She could lie in bed and take an afternoon nap after dinner.
The carriage swayed gently, and the scenery outside flashed by.
A long journey was like a long and winding dream. It didn't seem real, but one was truly in it.
Li Chuchu watched the scenery outside the window and gradually fell asleep.
...
When she opened her eyes again, it was already evening.
Li Xiaguang had returned at some point and was loudly talking to another girl.
Li Chuchu was woken up by their voices.
Li Xiaguang was vividly describing to the girl how high the wages and how attractive the benefits were in the factory in Dongguan. She patted her chest and assured her, "Jiang Wen, just listen to me. You won't go wrong! Girls should make their own careers."
The girl named Jiang Wen was gentle-looking, with a fair and clean face. She was probably also going to the south to visit relatives. Now she was being coaxed by Li Xiaguang. She nervously grabbed the sleeve of her clothes. "Really... really?"
The auntie smiled and chimed in, "Of course. Our factory is in Zhoukou City, Dongguan. It's an electronics factory. I think your personalities match perfectly. One is active, the other is quiet. One is steady, the other is lively. You'll make a great team."
Although she was smiling, there seemed to be a hint of ill intent behind her smile. It was like the look of a pig dealer, and the girls in front of her were piglets waiting to be sold.
It was obvious that the little girl was hesitating.
Li Xiaguang had been nowhere to be found all afternoon. Now that she finally found someone easy to talk to, she was practically coaxing and deceiving her. "Just do me a favor. If you really don't like it, you can leave after a few days."
As long as she could get her to start working there, the rest would be easy.
She didn't know what kind of spell the auntie had cast on Li Xiaguang, but she was almost crazy now.
Caught between the two, the little girl was in a difficult position.
She bit her lower lip and half-heartedly agreed. "Okay, then I'll give it a try. If it doesn't work out, I'll leave."
"Sure! No problem!"
Li Xiaguang readily agreed.
The auntie just smiled and said nothing.
...